Improvement in plant-protectors



E. MOSHER] Plant-Protector. No. 23,935. meme] May 10, I859 '5 1 I i l i r i i l i/ fnewas;

- x I. InuenZZr V :4. PETERS, PHOTO-LITKOGEAPHER, WASHINGTON I: c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELI MOSHE-R, or FLUSHING, MICHIGAN.

l MPROVEM ENT IN PLANT-PROTECTORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 23,935, dated May 10, 1859.

To all whom it may concern Be'it known that I, ELI MosHER, of Flushing, in the county of Genesee and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Plant-Protectors; and 1 do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan or top view of the protector constructed according to my invention, and unfolded or expanded ready for use. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the same in afolded or compact state. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the same in an unfolded state. :10 :0, Fig. 1, indicates the plan of section.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents the box, which is of wood and of rectangular shape. At least this would be the most desirable shape. Any polygonal form, however, would answer; but the quadrilateral form would be the most desirable. The four sides a a a a of the box are connected by any proper joints or hinges a". Thesejoiuts may be formed by attaching perforated plates to the ends of the sides and using cords for attaching the sides together, the cords passing through the perforations in the plates; or a connection may beformed by tacking leather, cloth, or other flexible material to the ends of the sides. It is perfectly immaterial as regards the form of joint used to connect the sides, so long as the boxes are allowed to collapse and expand.

The box of course is not provided with any bottom; but it has a top, B, of gauze or netting of any kind that will admit the sun, air, and moisture and exclude the insects. This gauze B is out in rectangular form, and two of its sides are permanently attached to two of the sides, a a, of the box, the fabric being tacked or otherwise secured the whole length of the sides a a at their upper parts.

To the end of the side a. of the box, and

near its upper part, a cord, b, is attached by an india-rubber or other spring, 0. The opposite end of this cord is attached to the end of the side a either directly or by a spring, as may be required. In Figs. 1 and 3 it is represented as being attached direct to the side a.

From the above description it will be seen that when the sides a a a a of the box are expanded the cord 1) will, when slipped around the upper parts of said sides, keep the box in proper form, and will also retain the loose ends or sides of the gauze B over on the sides a a, as shown in Fig. 1. The boxes, when thus secured in an unfolded state, are ready for use, and when not requiring to be used the cords b are slipped off from the tops of the sides a a, and the sides are collapsed, as shown in Fig. 2, and made to occupy but an extremely small space. 1

By this invention a large quantity of boxes may be stowed away in a small space, and they may be readily packed for shipping or transportation.

Professional gardeners use large quantities of these boxes,and during the season that they are not required they monopolize considerable room, and many are broken in being packed away. By my invention this difficulty is obviated, and as the boxes are only opened or expanded when in use they will not be so liable to be broken as those constructed in the usual way.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The arrangement and combination of the folding sides a a a a", cover B, and fasteningcord b, as-herein shown and described.

ELI MOSEIER.

Witnesses:

HENRY FRENCH, ALANSON NILEs, 

